The Material Handling Blog

Within the realm of industrial vehicle automation, the terms “dynamic path planning” and “obstacle avoidance” have recently generated buzz. On the surface, the idea of an AV (autonomous vehicle) having the capability to independently navigate around unforeseen obstacles appears to be a valuable feature. And, make no mistake, there are certainly specific applications where that feature can be beneficial. This blog post will expand on the other navigation methods and why AV OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) make the deliberate choice to use them.

The fascination with automation has been amplified by the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) and the emergence of seemingly self-driving cars. This trend has made “automation” an ubiquitous term worldwide. Manufacturing and warehousing facilities are at the forefront of adopting automation due to the numerous advantages it offers, including waste reduction, increased production efficiency and a compelling ROI (return on investment). In fact, technology like self-driving vehicles isn’t new to the warehouse environment but it has come a very long way since it was first introduced. In this post, we’ll dive into how advanced technology is being leveraged to complement warehouse operations and how you can plan for successful integration.

Bastian Solutions was once again excited to attend ProMat at McCormick Place in Chicago. This year's booth featured a live system demonstration that integrated multiple technologies, including several of our autonomous vehicles, Bastian Solutions SmartPick, AutoStore, Tompkins Robotics tSort, Bastian Solutions Conveyor, and more. We hosted a live seminar "Cutting Through the Noise: How to look beyond technology and meet business objectives". We also unveiled our newest product, the CB18 AGF, during a live press conference at our booth on Monday, March 20th.

The fierce competition for warehouse space and fulfillment labor combined with growing customer demands and ever-evolving technology offerings can make it overwhelmingly noisy and difficult to navigate. That challenge can make it hard to identify the solution that will help companies meet business objectives today and in the future. To add to that complexity, the supply chain industry is ever-growing and evolving. Our team of engineers can help guide through the noise that companies may be facing. Bastian Solutions is eager to attend this year’s ProMat tradeshow March 20-23, 2023, to discuss some of these supply chain challenges with attendees.

Peak season is here. While Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the biggest sales days of the year, have come and gone, order fulfillment operations are busy ensuring that orders are filled accurately, packaged carefully and shipped on time. For retailers, this is both a time of getting through the peak and also an opportunity to shine ahead of competitors. Handling seasonal peaks requires automation that simplifies the surge in distribution.

Easier than ever to integrate into operations, AGVs (automated guided vehicles) and AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) are transforming the way manufacturing and distribution centers operate. This cost-effective solution increases efficiency, improves working conditions and easily scales to match business growth. Technologies like BlueBotics ANT opens possibilities through their advanced fleet management capabilities and interoperability. This means customers can carefully build-out the vehicle tech stack they need for their business. BlueBotics ANT is part of the Bastian Solutions growing portfolio of automation capabilities.

With the boom in the ecommerce market, companies will have to optimize outbound processes in order to keep up with the race and continue to meet customer expectations – correct orders with on time fulfilment. Let's look at how.

The warehousing industry has grown in the last few years by becoming more intentionally planned, multifaceted and accessible. It’s a push towards automation. This will progress further in the upcoming years, especially as companies look to meet customer’s fast fulfilment expectations and challenges like labour and real estate availability continue. The last few decades have shed a light on how products get to consumers, bringing increased attention to warehousing and distribution which has evolved the focus bringing substantial study and investment.

How do you determine when it’s time to integrate an automated vehicle solution in your DC (distribution centers)? Discover how these automated systems can help you navigate your warehouse confidently and take your operation to new heights.

“Automate it.” Every industrial engineer is familiar with this phrase, whether it comes from executives or industry demand. Today’s businesses are always looking to make their processes more efficient and flexible, and automation can be one of the best tools to achieve these goals in light of business growth and market changes. Reaping the most benefit from a modernized system isn’t easy and requires careful planning. Achieving operational goals of increased productivity and decreased waste within your budget, are a significant challenge. No two automated material handling solutions are ever the same. Each company and industry sector may require different solutions based on their specific objectives, parameters and constraints.

After Amazon acquired Kiva Systems, these look-alike vendors have copied and expanded on the fetch & carry, goods-to-person fulfillment method.

Wondering whether automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are the right solution for your material handling problem? These 5 questions will help.

There are many automation technologies available to improve omni-channel fulfillment – but which are right for your operation?

Whenever asked about my job, most questions revolve around conveyor and racking, but I can’t help but wonder why the scope of the industry ends there, or at least the perception of it. Today's material handling technology is impressive and more advanced than ever before.

The world of automated warehouse vehicles can be confusing. Just consider the various types of available guidance systems: wire-guidance, magnetic tape and magnetic paint, laser-guidance, inertial navigation, and camera based imaging (i.e. vision-guidance). When you factor in the type of vehicle, e.g. tugger, unit load, custom, etc., the task of selecting a specific platform can be overwhelming.

The ever-increasing need to satisfy customers in the world of order fulfillment is causing the warehouse and distribution industries to consider more efficient and cost-effective solutions to satisfy the need. This has lead many companies to implement, or consider, higher-automation solutions that include goods-to-person technologies. Read: Key Considerations When Designing Goods-to-Person Systems